Maurice is Missing!
by Prince Izzy X
Summary: [Slash: Oars] When a seven year old Twister gets lost in Wishing Waters, it’s up to an eighteen year old Lars to find him! And along the way, he finds love…or something like that in a strange boy with red dreadlocks.
1. The Dream and the Brother

(Note: Like Computer Thief, this story was originally a one-shot, but it's way too long to actually be read in one sitting. This fic will be posted as a multi-chapter one instead. Like in the aforementioned fic, there won't be any pre and post-chapter conversations; just the pre and post-story ones.

If ya wanna read the whole thing now instead of waiting for all the chapters to be posted, which will be one every day, you're free to go to my site. Fair warning though: I'm not splitting up that version of the story, so you'll most likely be stuck there for a couple of hours at best. With that said, enjoy and please review!)

Disclaimer: Nothing that is copyrighted belongs to me. Only myself. This goes for the whole fic. And if by some weird twist of fate, this fic breaks any of this site's childish and unfair rules, **_please do the courteous thing and tell me in a review what I did wrong_.** If it doesn't ruin the artistic quality of the fic, I'll fix it **_ASAP_**. I'm usually on all day. **_At least give me a chance to fix the problem before reporting me_.**

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Pre-story Conversation

The camera turned on in the studio. It consists of a modest stage area. I'm standing in the middle of it. Izzy, being fed up by my last few fics, decided to take a small vacation, so I was there all by myself. Behind me was a movie-like screen.

"Welcome!" I addressed the crowd. "This fic came about as the result of a pretty nerve-racking experience I've had this summer. My little cousin, my father, and I were visiting Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Jackson, NJ. And you know how little kids are. They're always running around like crazy. Well, I had to watch my cousin and—" I laughed nervously. "—he got lost."

The crowd gasped at that, causing me to glare at them.

"I found him!"

"WHEW!.!.!" The crowd gave a collective sigh of relief.

"Anyway, so I got thinking. Lars probably had to go through things like this when his brother was really young. That was when I got this idea. For this fic, Lars has to find little Maurice, who—"

"Twister!" A familiar voice yelled.

"Huh?" I turned to see none other than Twister walking up to me.

"My name is Twister! Don't forget it!" He shouted. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Whatever." I turned back to the crowd. "Anyway, Lars has to find Maurice—"

"Twister!"

"—Who is lost in Wishing Waters." I growled. "During his quest to find Maurice—"

"Twister!" I turned and glared at him.

"Interrupt me one more time and you'll regret it." I turned back to the crowd. "—He meets Otto, who offers to help find Twister." I scowled at the boy in question.

"…What?" He asked.

"Hmph. Thought so." I grunted, turning back to the audience. "Eventually, they fall for each other." I scratched my head. "Heh. I guess before I go any further, I should say that this is gonna be a slash fic. The coupling is Lars/Otto."

Twister's eyes widened at that one.

"I tried to make it an Oars fic, but I'll leave you to judge if I made Otto dominant or not." I continued. "Anyway, can the two get through the perils of the water park and find Maurice before it's too late?"

"Twister, Twister, Twister!" The boy in the hat yelled, stomping the ground. "My name is Twister!.!.!"

"That's it!" I yelled as I turned towards him. He flinched as I snapped my fingers. Nothing happened though.

"Wha?" He blinked after a few seconds. His body then glowed brightly. The light got smaller and smaller. When the light dissipated, he became a little boy! His clothes barely stayed on his body, causing him to nearly get buried in them. The girls in the audience squealed when they laid eyes on him.

"AWWWWWWW!.!.!.!.! SO CUTE!.!.!"

"Heh. I made a chibi Twister." I said, flicking my thumb at him.

"What'd you do to me!.?" Twister demanded. He covered his mouth when he released how squeaky his voice sounded. "Ahhhh!.!.! What happened to my voice?.!"

"That's what you get." I said crossing my arms. "Ya shoulda kept your mouth shut when you had the chance."

"Change me back! I can't do the story like this!" He pleaded.

"Sorry." I shrugged at him. "The spell lasts until the fic ends. You're going have to stay that way." Twister pouted and crossed his arms, causing the girls to go wild again.

"EEEEEEEEEE!.!.!.!.! KAWAII!.!.!"

"What's with the audience today?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "Anyway, I guess since I made Twister a little boy, I can mess around with the ages of the other characters so that I don't have to worry about the age gap between Otto and Lars." I got into a thinking pose.

"Let's see…" I snapped my fingers. "Aha! I got it! Here are the ages for the main characters!"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a remote control. I pointed it at the screen and pressed a button, causing Twister, Otto, and Lars' pictures to show up. Under each of them was a number.

_Twister: 7_

_Otto: 17_

_Lars: 18_

"There ya go! Those are the ages for our stars. As for Reggie and Sam… Errr… I think I can fit them in _somewhere. _I'll just have to think a bit. Heh, heh…" I chuckled nervously as I rubbed the back of my head.

"Last thing before we start; this is obviously going to be an AU fic. Aside from the drastic change in ages, Twister and Lars don't know Otto, Reggie, and Sam in this. Also, this'll be done in Lars' POV. Enjoy!" I waved at the camera as the crowd cheered.

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Maurice is Missing!

Chapter One

The Dream and the Brother

It all started innocently enough. I was curled up in bed, hugging my pillow. I was having one of my usual dreams.

_We were sitting at a table outside some fancy restaurant. I was wearing the most expensive clothes I had, which wasn't saying much. It was just a dress shirt, pressed pants, a necktie, and polished shoes. He was shrouded in shadow, but it didn't matter. I knew that he was the most beautiful creature on earth. We each had a cup of coffee in front of us. They had long since gotten cold. We were lost in each other's gaze. His eyes were full of mirth and happiness. I could just drown into them. I'm sure my eyes were full of the same compassion._

_Pretty soon, he reached over the table, took my hand in his, and kissed it. I blushed at the act._

_"I love you. You're the most handsome boy I've ever met." He says to me. His voice is unknown and there was hardly any emotion behind it. But that didn't matter. My blush darkened nonetheless. _

_He got up, his eyes never leaving mine. He walked over to my side of the table and leaned in close. I leaned forward as I closed my eyes in anticipation. I puckered my lips as I drew ever closer. I can feel his breath on my lips. Just another inch or two… Our faces were just centimeters away from becoming one…_

"BIG BWOTHER!.!.!"

"GAH!.!.!" I yelped as I fell out of bed. I groaned as I sat up and glared at the door. It can't be morning already…

'_No fair!_' I thought as I crawled back into bed. '_Every time I get ready to kiss that hot guy, **he** screams at the top of his lungs!_'

I swear, he's only seven and he's got lungs the size of hot air balloons! Oh well… It can't be helped. It doesn't really matter, anyway. In my dreams, I can never see the guy clear enough. He might as well be an old man for all I know. I shuddered at the very thought. Also, he seems so emotionless. I can't even tell if he means what he says, yet I never seem to care. I just know that he's good looking and that he's sincere about our love. I sighed. It was only a dream. I'll never meet a guy like that…

"Big bwother!" That screeching voice yelled again. I buried myself in my blanket. Maybe he won't bother me for another couple of hours.

No such luck.

The door to my room was opened with a crash. I then heard tiny footsteps draw closer to my bed. I can feel his eyes sizing me up, trying to figure out the perfect place to land on.

"Wake up!" He yelled cheerfully. Next thing I knew, all the air was knocked out of me. I coughed and sputtered as I sat up.

'_I just **had** to be lying on my back._' I thought as I sent _him_ a glare. He didn't notice it though as he bounced around my bed. I groaned and rubbed my temple.

"Maurice, it's too early for this." I yawned.

"Twista!" He shouted in response. I groaned again.

Every time I or anybody else calls him by his name, he always responded by saying that word. I have _no_ idea why he does that. Maybe it's a part of being a little kid.

He then shouted happily, "Come on, bwother! Time to get up!" I gave him a tired look. Does Mom feed him a whole bag of sugar for breakfast or something? Where does he get all of his energy!.?

Guess I better introduce us. I'm Lars Rodriguez. I'm eighteen. I'm about six and a half feet tall. I got brown hair and a dark complexion. Finally, I'm gay and proud of it. My parents know and they're cool about it. I don't care what anybody thinks about it. Of course, if they say anything about it, I'll beat them all the way to next Thursday! Currently, I'm single and looking. I hope to find someone good-looking who will be there for me. To raise my spirits when I'm low and laugh with me when I'm happy.

Anyway, the one bouncing around on the bed is my little brother, Maurice. Like I said, he's seven. He's just barely over four feet tall. He's got orange hair and lighter skin than mine. I looked at him curiously. It's strange. He has orange hair, yet my mom and I have brown hair while my dad has black hair. I shrugged. Weird. Anyway, right now, he was wearing his Pokémon pajamas, as well as a striped cap Mom gave him sometime ago. I got a hat too. It's gray and round. I've had it since I was his age. I've been told countless times to get rid of it. I guess I _should_ get rid of it, but nah. It grew on me.

"Get out of bed, big bwother!" He started pulling me out of bed. For being so small, he's pretty strong. Or is it because I don't have the energy to deal with him right now? In any case, I pulled back and hid under the safety of the blanket. I was only wearing my boxers, after all.

"Go into the living room or something and let me get dressed." I told him.

"Okey dokey!" He yelled before jumping off the bed. He ran out of the room, holding his arms out and pretending he was an airplane. I shook my head and got up. I closed the door. It was then that I looked at the calendar.

'_It's Saturday._' I noted lazily. I turned around and walked over to my dresser. I looked for a pair of shorts. A few seconds passed before I whipped my head around. '_It's Saturday!.? Whoo hoo!_' I punched the air.

I thought this day would never come! My parents promised to take me and Maurice to Wishing Waters today! I can't wait to go down those high speed slides! And since today's the Fourth of July, there's going to be a fireworks show tonight. The people at the water park always put on great fireworks shows. They outdo themselves every year. I even heard that they're going to use fireworks that explode into different shapes this year.

I grinned as I grabbed a pair of yellow swimming trunks out of my dresser. I tossed off my boxers and put them on fast. Maurice tends to show up at the worst possible times. I learned that the hard way when I got out of the shower one time. He was RIGHT there, brushing his teeth! I was so shocked that I slipped and sprained my arm. I shuddered at the memory. Needless to say, I now lock the door every time I go to the bathroom.

Anyway, next, I grabbed my favorite shirt. It was purple and had a red star on it. Then, I got a fresh pair of boxers and a change of shorts for after we were done for the day. After getting a towel out of the linen closet and putting it and my change of clothes in a bag, I walked back into the room and grabbed my hat. I went out to the living room, where Maurice was sitting.

He was glued to the TV, watching some little kid's show. It was this one about some sponge thing or whatever. I couldn't be bothered to think about it right now. I was still tired. What time did he wake me up, anyway? I looked at the clock and my eyes widened.

_Seven thirty!.?_ He wakes me up, goes into my room, jumps on me, and gets me out of bed at _seven thirty_!.?.! I actually could've finished the dream for once! I turned to him with a glare. He may be eleven years younger than me, but that doesn't mean I can't pull horrible pranks on him! Of course, they're small stuff. You know, making him pee the bed, scaring him by telling him that a monster is living under the bed. Kid's stuff. Needless to say, I never let the pranks go too far. What do you take me for? He's only seven for God's sake!

I sighed and decided to drop it. He was probably just as excited about going to Wishing Waters as I was. This'll be his first time going there. For me, it'll be my… Hmmmm… I have no idea. I lost count after two hundred. I usually go by myself or with my friends. I don't even know why I'm letting my parents take me. I can just take a bus or drive there. Oh wait…

°°Flashback°°

_"Awwww Mom! Do I **really** have to stay with you guys!.?.!" I protested. _

_It was last night. My mom and I were in the kitchen. She had just told me that when we go to Wishing Waters, I have to stick around with them instead of going off on my own._

_"Yes Lars!" Mom shot back. "This'll be little Maurice's—"_

_"Twista!" **He **yelled from his room. I rolled my eyes. Right on cue, like always. Mom shook her head before turning back to me._

_"This'll be his first time going to Wishing Waters and I want us to be together like a family."_

_"But mom…" I groaned._

_"My decision is final, Lars." She said, crossing her arms. There was just no way around it. I was stuck. Whenever Mom says her decision is final, it's just that, final, and nothing on this planet can change her mind. So what chance do **I** have?_

_"Fine…" I grumbled, going to my room._

°°End Flashback°°

I groaned as I slumped into the sofa. The day would have been perfect if I didn't have to worry about "_being a family_." After all, I could've checked out all the guys and maybe even got a date or two. Mom and Dad may be alright with my sexuality, but it would be weird if they saw me looking at other guys. Besides, I gotta set an example for Maurice. I held my chin as I watched him sing along with the TV.

Hmmm… If he ever saw me and another guy making out, would he _really_ turn out gay? It would be pretty interesting if when he gets older, he winds up with some hottie from—I don't know—Hawaii or something. Nah! It'll never happen.

Anyway, about an hour later, Mom and Dad finally graced us with their presence. Don't they know that we gotta get there as early as possible? The parking lot's gonna be packed! It'll be a madhouse with all the shoobies and everybody else coming for the fireworks. The show always draws huge crowds.

"Well, at least we don't have to drag you two out of bed for once." Mom said with a smirk. I crossed my arms in response.

"Ha, ha." I said dryly.

"How are you doing this morning, Maurice? Had a nice sleep?" Dad asked, rubbing my brother's head. I sighed. Three, two, one…

"Twista!" Maurice yelled before grinning. "I had a nice dweam, Daddy! I was flying around on a skateboard! I even went into outta space!"

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that one. Flying around on a skateboard? How random could ya get? I slapped my head when I remembered he was just a kid. He just has a big imagination. Dad picked him up and placed him on his head.

"Well, why don't we live out your dream?" And with that, he ran around the room while Maurice tried to balance himself, laughing the whole time. Dad ran into the kitchen while Mom and I followed.


	2. The Wave Pool

Maurice is Missing!

Chapter Two

The Wave Pool

Later, we were riding in the car to Wishing Waters at long last. Maurice and I were in back, Dad was driving, and Mom was in the passenger seat. Maurice was wearing a red pair of swimming trunks and a Spider-man T-shirt. I rolled my eyes. Couldn't Mom get him clothes that _didn't_ have the flavor of the month on it? I wiped my forehead. It was burning in here! I keep telling Dad to get the AC fixed, but _nnnnooooo_! He has to be so cheap! Sorry about all that. I guess I'm still a little pissed about Maurice waking me up so early. I yawned and leaned back. Maybe I can get a little shut eye before we get there.

"So Maurice, what do want to go on first?" Mom spoke up.

"Twista!"

I jumped up after hearing that. I swear, he's the archenemy of sleep and dreams. The sandman must be afraid of his screeching. Well, whatever the case, I sent him a glare, but he was too busy scowling at Mom to notice. He then remembered her question.

"Ummm… I don't know…" He replied innocently. I should've known. He hasn't been there before, Mom!

"Well why don't you look at this map of Wishing Waters and tell us where you want to go." Mom said as she reached into the glove compartment. She pulled out an old map of the water park and handed it to Maurice. Wait a minute… Since when did she have a map of Wishing Waters?

I looked over Maurice's shoulder as he tried to read it. The last time I remember going to Wishing Waters with my parents was two years before he was born. If they got a map then, that means most of the rides would be gone or replaced. Maurice grinned as he placed his finger on an area that looked like a pirate ship.

"Oooh, oooh! I wanna go to Piwate Land!" Mom and Dad chuckled at that display of enthusiasm. I only rolled my eyes.

"Ok, ok, Maurice. We'll go to Pirate Land first." Dad said.

"Twista!"

I swear, I'm gonna have a major migraine when today's over and done with. I then remembered that Pirate Land was torn down because it was unsafe. Lots of kids got hurt. I even heard that someone broke their leg. It's amazing no one got killed.

"That one's gone." I spoke up.

"Really?" Dad asked. I nodded.

"It got condemned for being unsafe. It was replaced with a wave pool."

"That's too bad. I remember you used to have so much fun on that one." Mom said, holding a hand to her chin. I groaned at that.

She has GOT to be kidding! I _hated_ going to Pirate Land! It was always the first place we went to when I was really young. The water there was always too cold! Kids would always push me! Although, I would push them right back… I even got cut once because of a splinter! Who makes a little kiddy pool thing out of wood!.? You use PLASTIC! I'm glad it got shut down!

"So no Piwate Land?" Maurice asked sadly as he turned to me. He started sniffling. I shrugged nonchalantly.

"'Friad so, kiddo."

His eyes were starting to water. My own eyes widened. He wasn't going to _cry_, was he?.! I covered my ears. If you thought he was loud this morning, you'll be in for a surprise when he opens the floodgates! He's worse than a foghorn! And because we were in the car… Aw crap. We could crash! I made sure to tighten my seatbelt. Mom must've noticed this too because she went to action.

"Please don't cry, Maurice!" She started desperately. "I'm sure the wave pool is much more fun!" She turned to me. "Right Lars?.!"

"Yeah, Maurice! The wave pool is lots of fun!" I offered nervously.

That was true. I _always_ go to the wave pool first. The water's usually pretty warm, so I don't have to worry about freezing my ass off like on the water slides. And it's fun to jump with the waves when they come out. Not to mention the closeness involved. Most people hang around the wall when the waves start up. That's where they rise the highest. I usually try to feel up a guy or two in the confusion the waves cause. I licked my lips at that. I quickly shook my head at the thought. The only thing that sucks though is that eventually, the lifeguards stationed there always make everybody get out for a little while. I'll never understand why.

Maurice sniffed. "Ok. We'll go to the wave pool first." He then added as an afterthought, "Oh Mommy, big bwother?"

"Yes?" Mom and I asked.

"Twista!"

I smirked at him. I was wondering when he was gonna catch that.

Later…

"Well, here we are! Wishing Waters!" Dad announced as he parked the car. I groaned.

Oh we were there alright. We were all the way in back of the parking lot! As expected, the whole thing was packed. I just hope there will be a place to sit tonight. As long as I don't have to stand, I'll be happy. Although, I would rather share the view of the fireworks with someone instead of just sitting by myself or with my family. I sighed. It'll never happen. I should just try to have fun today.

The sun was beaming down on us as we got out of the car. While me, Mom, and Dad stretched our legs, Maurice was looking at the park with a huge grin. I had to admit, despite the fact that I come here at least three or four times every month; it never ceases to amaze me. You can see a bunch of the slides from where we were standing. Each of the tubes was done in different colors. They started from as high as sixty feet. Every one of them makes you go as fast as fifty miles per hour. Of course, due to the number of people, there was most likely a forty minute wait.

After gawking at the water park for a good five minutes, we finally moved on to the ticket booth. Of course, we had to go through the concrete desert to reach it. Our sweat dripped onto the ground, where it evaporated instantly. It was just too humid! I held a hand above my eyes as I glared at the sky. Not a single damn cloud in sight. I thanked God that we were going to the water park and not the amusement park at the pier. We wouldn't have survived the day if that was the case.

Anyway, the ticket booth was even worse! The line was enormous! It seemed to stretch for miles on end. I was about ready to leave and just use the hose to cool myself off. Luckily, Dad had gotten season passes off the Internet a couple of weeks prior to today. We were able to avoid the long line of shoobies and get in the park immediately.

As we walked around, Maurice took in the sights excitedly. I, on the other hand, didn't care too much. After all, I've seen the whole thing front to back at least a million times. The whole park was made to look like a tropical paradise. Almost everywhere you looked, there was a tiki. There were broken ships along the paths to add to the theme. There were plastic sharks and dolphins around. A few of the displays shot water when you got close. One or two areas of the park were set up like a beach. Even though neither area had water, they both had Volleyball courts. Peaceful island music was playing through speakers.

While my brother looked around at the unimportant stuff, I took in the more impressive sights. Some really good-looking guys showed up today. They were in all different types of bathing suits. From your everyday shorts to speedos. I practically drooled at those guys brave enough to actually wear those tiny things. You'll _never_ catch me in one those napkins! But it _is_ fun to actually take a look. I wonder how they fit in them, anyway. My brain went on vacation as I continued to look at all the hot guys. Oh how would I love to get with any one of them. Life would be perfect. See? _This_ is why I come here three or four times a month! If I had the cash, I'd come here everyday!

Anyway, after a good ten minutes of searching (and staring on my part), we finally came across the wave pool. At the moment, the pool was calm. It didn't look too crowded. People were in there, splashing each other or just lounging around. We walked around the many beach chairs that were situated along the pool. Most of them were full of old people tanning. When we found two free ones that were next to each other, Mom and Dad sat down.

"Well here we are, Maurice. Enjoy yourself." Mom said.

"Twista!" Maurice yelled. She helped him out of his shirt and shoes.

"Now remember, Lars." Dad said to me. "We're counting on you to watch Maurice."

"Twista!" His voice was muffled by the shirt.

"Make sure he doesn't go in too deep."

"Ok Dad." I replied.

Then it hit me.

"Hold on! You want me to watch _him_!.?" I pointed at my brother, who was all set to go swimming. My parents glared at me.

"Yes Lars." Dad started dangerously. "We want you to watch your brother while we catch up on our reading."

"You know as well as we do that we haven't been able to finish our novels since Maurice was able to talk." Mom agreed.

"Twista!"

"So watch him and make sure he doesn't get lost." Dad said.

"Or else." Mom warned. I gulped. They'd kill me if Maurice so much as got a scrape on his leg. I nodded helplessly. "Good. Now run along." Then they took out a couple of books and started reading. I sighed as I picked off my shirt and took off my shoes. I put the shirt in my bag and laid the shoes by Mom's lawn chair.

"Come on, big bwother! Last one in's a sponge head!" Maurice shouted, pulling me along. I sighed tiredly as I let him drag me towards the pool.

I can't believe this! They didn't want me to come along so that we can be a family. They wanted me to come along so that they could dump the twerp on me! I growled at this new revelation. Just you wait, Mom and Dad. I'll get my revenge on you. I don't know how, but mark my words, I will.

Maurice and I made it to the pool's entrance. We slowly made our way in. Despite how warm the water usually is, it's always cold when you first go in. This was especially true for us. We shivered as we moved deeper and deeper into the water. About three feet in, Maurice was already swimming around while the water barely went past my legs. One or two feet further, I laid my body across and let the water soak me completely. I got used to the temperature fast.

I did a backstroke while watching my brother carefully. I sighed and closed my eyes. This was the life. It was worth it broiling in that car and enduring that near life threatening experience to get here. Now I can cool off in peace.

"Big bwother!"

I knew it wouldn't last. I looked up to find him splashing around. I moved towards him.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Let me wide you!" I gave him an exasperated look.

"Now look, Mau—" I stopped myself when I saw him take in an irritated breath. I didn't need him screaming that word in public. He'll just embarrass me. Instead, I cleared my throat.

"What I meant to say is that you're crazy if you think I'm gonna let you ride me." I groaned when I saw his eyes water. The tears _always_ get me! No, I'm not a softy. At least I don't _think_ so. It's just that, as I've said before, his crying is worse than when he wakes me up. I huffed as I turned around.

"Alright, alright. Climb on."

"Yay!.!.!" He cheered as he jumped on, practically forcing my head under. I sputtered, trying to get my head above the surface. I sighed with relief when I was able to stay up. "Giddy yap! Giddy yap!" He kicked my sides, like I was a horse. I growled as I moved around.

I swear, if he wasn't my brother… This was so embarrassing! I was known as a bully in school. A tough guy! What would people say if they saw me letting my brother ride me? A few minutes of this passed before I got tired of him kicking me. I smirked as I stood straight up.

"Hey! Giddy yap!" Maurice shouted at me, kicking me some more. My smirk turned into a small grin.

"Sorry. Ride's over!" I yelled before picking him up and dropping him into the water. He spit out water when he resurfaced and glared at me. "Awww! What's the matter? Is widdle Mauwice mad that I threw him into the wa-wa? Tchahahahahahaha!.!.!.!.!" I held my sides as I laughed at him.

"Twista!" He yelled before splashing me. I stopped and gaped at him. He didn't… Tell me he did NOT just splash _me_! I scowled at him. Maurice gulped as he shrank under my gaze.

"So, you want a splash fight, do ya?" I challenged with a smirk. I drew back a hand. "Well you got it!" I allowed my hand to skid along the surface as I brought it forward. He got soaked completely by my attack. He shook the water out of his head and glared at me again.

"I'll show you!" He yelled. He put both hands in front of his body and pressed forward, effectively splashing me. For a little kid, he wasn't too bad.

He kept going while I backed up, trying to give myself time to fight back. He only moved closer to me. I was soon able to splash him. He quickly splashed me back. We laughed as we splashed each other. This was kinda fun! So what if Mom and Dad only wanted time away from him?.! We went back and forth for little while before a loud buzzing filled our ears. We stopped our splash fight.

"Bwother, what is that?" Maurice asked curiously. I put a hand to my chin.

There was something about the wave pool I forgot. Whenever that alarm goes off, it means… My eyes widened. The waves are supposed to start up! I nervously turned towards the wall as I heard the crowd cheer. I felt my pupils shrink as I saw a wave approach. It was at least five feet high! I turned to Maurice. Would he be able to withstand it? I don't wanna take that chance.

"Maurice, stay near me!"

"O-ok, bwother…" He said timidly. I sighed with relief. At least he didn't scream for once.

The wave got closer and closer. I got in front of Maurice and stood my ground. There's no way I'm gonna let him get hurt! I'll get murdered by my parents if that happens. The wave was almost on top of us. I gulped.

'_Ok. It's now or never!_' I thought as I raised my arms. The wave crashed into me with great force, but I was still standing. I turned towards Maurice, who was cheering.

"You stopped the wave, big bwother!" He said. I winked and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Heh. It was nothing."

It was the truth. It was honestly no big deal. I can handle waves like that anytime, anywhere. I _was_ a surfer, after all. Maurice kept dancing around for a few seconds before he gasped and pointed behind me. I turned, but it was too late. I was knocked back by another wave. I forgot that more than _one_ wave comes out. I broke through the surface and looked around.

"Maurice!" I called.

"Over here, big bwother!" I turned to the right and found him. I sighed with relief as I swam up to him.

Before we can be reunited, another wave struck!

'_Come on already!_' I screamed inwardly as I broke through the surface.

The waves were coming more frequently. There were a lot of people near me too, but Maurice was nowhere in sight. I looked around frantically. I couldn't lose him!

"Maurice!" I yelled as I swam around the people. I was tossed backwards as another wave struck. I gotta fight it! If I lose that little brat, I'll lose my head!

"Maurice!" I dove under an approaching wave and looked around when I resurfaced.

"Big bwother!" I heard him scream. His voice came from… I gasped. The wall! I turned and saw him barely staying above the surface! I gotta hurry before he gets swept under!

"Hang on, Maurice!" I yelled as I swam towards him.

More waves came. Every time one struck, I was pushed into people. They cursed at me as I swam away. I couldn't apologize to them. I gotta get to Maurice! I was starting to get tired. I shook my head. I can't wimp out now! I gotta get to him! I jumped when the next wave hit, preventing me from getting swept. After going around a few more people and under one more wave, I finally made it to the wall. My little brother was just a foot or two away. I smiled as I moved towards him.

Just then, another wave came and knocked Maurice off the wall! He was swept away! I growled as I moved around people to catch him. I grinned as I saw him within arms length.

"Whew… I got you." I said as I reached an arm out.

Before I could grab him, two waves came, one after the other, and drove me back much further than usual. I dragged my feet along the pool's bottom and forced myself forward. I'm _not_ going to lose my brother to some stupid wave! I'm finding him and that's that! I pushed onward, only allowing the waves to push me back as little as possible. Finally, I saw him.

"Ha! I gotcha now!" I yelled as I jumped over the last wave. Unfortunately, Maurice moved away at the last second and I was heading towards someone else!

"Watch out!" The guy yelled, but it was too late. I couldn't stop myself!

°CRASH!°


	3. The Faithful Meeting

Maurice is Missing!

Chapter Three

The Faithful Meeting

My eyes were closed as I sunk to the bottom of the pool. Remembering where I was, I opened my eyes and swam for the surface. I broke through and gasped for air. Thankfully, that was the last wave for awhile. I was about to move to find Maurice when I felt a throbbing pain in my head. Whatever or _whoever _I bumped into was hard.

"Ugh… What hit me?" I groaned as I rubbed my head.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, kook!" Someone yelled. It must've been the guy I bumped into. I turned to him with a glare.

"Kook! You shouldn't have been in my way, you—" I stopped when I got a good look at who I bumped into.

Damn! He was hot! Skin like cinnamon. Slim with a small amount of muscles; just the way I like 'em. Red dreadlocks that was weighed down by the water. Man, was he beautiful or what!.? I resisted the urge to whistle as I looked him over. He was about a foot shorter than me. Through the clear water, I noticed that he was wearing a pair of purple swimming trunks. He was wearing a green headband. The strange part about him was that he was wearing a pair of green tinted sunglasses. Weird. Who wears sunglasses while swimming!.? Maybe they were water resistant or something.

Anyway, I liked what I saw. Forget the guys I saw on the way to the pool. This boy was gorgeous! I had to have him! I was barely able to see through his sunglasses, but I noticed he was looking me over too. The sexy smirk I saw a few seconds later showed that he liked what he saw as well. He better. I don't do three sets of push-ups everyday for kicks. I decided to break the ice.

"Hey."

"Hi." He breathed. I swear I could've melted right there. He's got a great voice! I struggled to find my own voice.

"Ummm… Sorry about… You know." I pointed to my head. I was sure there was a huge lump on it, but I could handle it. I just hope _he_ was alright.

"Oh, it's alright." He said, waving a dismissive hand. "It was an accident, you know? No worries." We stayed silent as we took in the sight of each other.

Oh man… I think I've found that special someone! I shouldn't get ahead of myself. He's probably just a shoobie or something. I'll probably never see him again. Well, even if he _was_ a shoobie, I wouldn't mind having a one night stand.

"God, where have you been all my life?" He broke the silence. I chuckled at that one.

"I could ask you the same thing." I replied.

"So, are you from out of town?" He asked. "I've never seen you around before."

Well, at least that answers the question of whether he's a shoobie or not.

"Nah. I live here." I answered. I noticed him sighing with relief. "You know that cul-de-sac on top of the hill? I live at the house with the stairway in front." I think he might want a long-term relationship. I smirked. I can live with that. Maybe if I play my cards right, I could make it a forever deal.

He gasped. "No way! I live right across from there! In the house with half a ship for the patio." I gaped at him. He must be jerking my chain. I've found out I was gay four or five years ago. You mean to tell me I could have gotten with this hottie at anytime!.? I felt like slapping myself for that.

"You gotta be kidding." I said doubtfully.

"No way, dude. I've been living there all my life. My dad runs the restaurant on the pier."

"You mean the Shore Shack?" I've been there a couple of times, but I've never saw him. He nodded.

"Yep. Right next to the music store." He gave me a doubtful look. "There's no way you've been living across from me for so long. You must've moved in recently." I shook my head.

"I moved here years ago from Mexico. I was five when I got here. I've been living in that house ever since."

"Then you must be a homebody or something." He said with finality. "Otherwise I would've seen you sooner or later. Do you shred?"

He must be joking! Do I _honestly_ look like I'm home all the time?

"Of course I do." I snorted. "You surf?"

"_What?_ I'm the best surfer in Ocean Shores!" He said proudly, puffing out his chest. He sent me a sidelong glance. "How about snowboarding?"

"Yep." I replied, crossing my arms. "I've never gone to an actual mountain, but I've snowboarded at ZGZ."

ZGZ, or Zero Gravity Zone, was an indoor skate park that also had a couple of snowboarding courses.

"I go to ZGZ at least once a week! How come I've never seen you?" I shrugged at him.

"Maybe I went on one of the other six days of the week."

He sent me a disbelieving glance. What's with the stare down? I feel like I'm being interrogated or something. His eyes _are _beautiful though. Or at least I _think_ so. Like I said, I can barely see through his sunglasses. He stared into my eyes for about two minutes before backing up with a grin.

"Well, I guess you pass my test!" He said cheerfully. "You're just about as extreme as me!"

"'About?'" I asked. He sent me another one of those smirks, although this one seemed a bit mischievous.

"Well yeah." He shrugged. "I'm practically the best at everything I do. It wouldn't be a surprise if you were only second best. And that's if you're lucky." I glared at him. The arrogance!

"Second best!.? Boy, I bet I can beat you in a mountain board race anytime!"

He glared at me. It's amazing how someone so sexy can instantly turn cold like that.

"Yeah right! I'll mop the floor with you…!" He stopped and blinked. "Hey, what's your name, anyway?"

"Huh? My name?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well yeah! We've been talking and flirting for a good five minutes and I don't even know your name yet." He answered. I blushed. Flirting? If talking about what sports we do was flirting, I would've tried that with other guys years ago. I stuttered when I noticed him giving me a questioning look.

"My name is—Oh crap!" The redhead raised an eyebrow at me.

"Your name is Oh crap?" My eyebrow twitched at that.

"No. I completely forgot about my little brother! Be right back." I moved away, trying to find Maurice. "Maurice, where are you?"

"Twista!" I heard him yell. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found him floating on his back. I went up to him and grabbed his hand.

"Come on. Stay with me before the waves start up again." I said, pulling him towards my potential boyfriend.

"Okay!" He answered. When we got back to the redhead, I let him go. He swam around us as I went back to "flirting."

"So who's this little guy?" Red asked as he followed my brother's movements.

"Oh, this is Maurice." I gasped as I slapped my hand over my mouth. I nervously turned to the boy in question, who was glaring at me.

"Twista!"

I flushed red with embarrassment. How could I forget!.? Now this hottie will think he's crazy or something!

"What's that about?" Red asked me.

"Oh, that's just a phase he's going through." I answered nervously.

"And how long has he been going through this?"

"As long as he's been able to talk." I said dryly. The redhead gave me a weirded out look before letting it drop.

"Well, he's cute anyway. So what's _your_ name?"

"Lars. And you?"

"Ahhh… Lars. What a beautiful name for such a divine creature."

I snorted to that. Now he was laying it on a little too thick. He can have me as far as I'm concerned. All he has to do is ask me out to dinner. And pay, of course. He looked lost in his own little world, which was fine by me. I could just stare at his perfect body forever. Unfortunately, I remembered that Maurice was nearby and probably watching our every move.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat. That seemed to do the trick as he shook his head and turned to me.

"Oh right. My name is—" He was interrupted by the shrill sound of a whistle. We looked around each other. The other people were getting out of the pool. I growled. Those damn lifeguards. They just _had_ to ruin a perfect moment. Right when I meet the boy of my dreams. The redhead walked towards me.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around, handsome." He winked. I gaped at him as he brushed past me. Did he just touch my—? That perv! I can't believe him! If I ever see him again—! I stopped myself as I took a deep breath. I smirked after him. He's just a little too forward for his own good. I wonder if he knows just what he's getting himself into.

"Hey! Didn't you hear the whistle!.? Get outta here!" A female voice yelled in my ear. As if I don't have to worry about Maurice… I turned and gave the lifeguard that addressed me a sheepish look.

"Oops, sorry." I grabbed Maurice's hand and started walking out of the pool.

"Bwother, why did that lady yell at you and throw evewybody out?" Maurice asked.

"It's just something the lifeguards do to make other people mad." I answered.

Chances are it's true. Why in the world do they toss people out of the wave pool for, anyway?.!

"And who was that boy you were talking to? He was nice." He said thoughtfully. I blushed at that. At least _he's_ ok with what's-his-name.

"He's…just a friend." I told him. I gave a wistful sigh. I hope that we could more though.

We made it back to where our parents were sitting.

"What was that about?" Dad asked, looking up from his book.

"Everybody gets thrown out of the pool every once in a while." I replied.

"So where do you want to go now, Maurice?" Mom asked, looking up as well.

"Twista!" Maurice yelled before looking past the pool area's exit. I noticed his eyes sparkle when he noticed one of the slides. "I wanna go on the wata slide! I wanna go on the wata slide!" He jumped up and down excitedly.

"Well you heard him, Lars." Dad said with a chuckle. I gaped. Don't tell me they want me to _baby sit_ him!

"But—" I stopped when I saw the venomous glares my parents sent me. I huffed. "Fine." I grabbed Maurice's hand and started walking.

"We'll be right here if you get hungry or something." Mom called after us. I groaned.

I can't believe I'm stuck with this kid. And I probably won't see that hottie again. On second thought, he _does_ live across the street from me… I'll be able to see him even if we don't meet up again here. I wonder why I've never met him before. Oh well. Right now, I had to deal with Maurice and watch him. He had wrestled out of my grip and was now skipping next to me. Ugh… How embarrassing.

"I'm gonna go on the wata slide!" He sang. "I'm gonna go on the wata slide!" He then ran ahead of me. "Come on, bwother! We gotta get there fast!" He ran a few feet further.

"Maurice! Wait up!" I shouted. He turned to me and got ready to shout his favorite word when a mob walked between us! I panicked. "Maurice! Whatever you do, don't move!"

"Twistaaaaaaa…" It sounded like he was moving away from me… I gulped as I stood still.

After a couple of minutes, the crowd dissipated, allowing me to get to where Maurice was standing. He wasn't there… Not one trace of him was anywhere to be found… I felt pure fear overcome me as I came to the only logical conclusion.

Maurice is missing!.!.!


	4. The Search

Maurice is Missing!

Chapter Four

The Search

"Oh God! Oh God! What do I do!.?" I yelled as I paced around. "Maybe I should go back to Mom and Dad? No! They'll have my head on a platter! Maybe I should go to the information booth and have them page him? No! Mom and Dad would hear the announcement!"

I was freaking out! I practically bit my nails down to the bone trying to think of something, _anything_ I could do! I paced for a few more moments before the only thing I _could_ do came to mind.

"Maybe I should…look for him?" I shrugged. It's the only thing I could do that won't involve getting my parents' attention. Nervously, I moved forward.

"Ok. Now think carefully, Lars. Where could he have gone?" I thought for a few moments.

The thing is Maurice has never been here before. He should only know the way to the wave pool and the exit. Nah! Why would he go to the exit for? And also, the wave pool at the moment is closed off, so that eliminates that possibility. Wait, he said he wanted to go to the water slide. I groaned. A lot of good _that_ does me. This place has tons of water slides. He could be _anywhere_! Well, he was going towards the three super-speed slides. Maybe that's where he went. With my first lead, I moved onwards.

The super-speed slides were a trio of slides. Two of them were tubes while the last one, which was placed higher, was a straight, uncovered slide. You use your body to go down them. Each slide was steep. The recorded speed for an average-sized person was forty-five miles per hour. I gulped. Maurice was barely over four feet tall. He'll probably go much faster than that. The whole thing was set up at one corner of the park. You had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the slides.

When I got halfway towards it, I saw that little brat running off the path towards the line. Unfortunately, the line wasn't all that long. I would've been able to catch him instantly otherwise. From what I could tell, it was clear up until three quarters of the way towards the first two slides. I had to hurry! Otherwise, I won't be able to catch him. I ran towards the ride. Because I was bare footed, it hurt to run. It didn't matter to me though. I'm gonna catch him and then I'm gonna bring him right back to Mom and Dad!

I got to the stairway to the slides and started climbing. Running all the way over here and going up these steps with sore feet was NOT fun! Maurice has only been lost five minutes and already I wanted to strangle him. Soon, I saw some people ahead. I huffed as I reached them. I started taking my breath when I noticed one important detail: Maurice was nowhere to be found!

'_How can that be!.?_' I thought. '_I saw him come here last. Did he cut in line or something?_'

It makes sense. After all, he _was_ tiny compared to most people. He probably could've slipped right through. I decided to just wait until I reached the slides. Maybe he'll get stopped or something. I yawned as the line slowly moved forward.

This is so dull! Why couldn't Maurice just stay still!.? I could've had a nice day of fun in which I get soaked to the bone, ending with the greatest fireworks display ever! And maybe even getting with that hot guy I met at the wave pool. It's so unfair! How can everything turn upside down so fast?.! I crossed my arms as I moved up another step.

Suddenly, everything went dark! Oh God no! Don't tell me I went blind! No! Not before I could lay eyes on that beautiful creature I saw at the wave pool again! I'm too young! I can't go blind! I always eat my vegetables! …Oh wait. Never mind. I always spoon my vegetables on Maurice's plate. But still, don't let me go blind! There are so many things I haven't seen! For one thing, that hot boy naked. Yum! Oh wait! This is no time for lusting! I can't see! Everything's lost! I—Hold on… Is that _laughing_ I hear!.?

"Guess who?" A familiar voice whispered into my ear. I growled as I turned around. The first thing I discovered was that I could see again. The second was that I was looking into two green lenses. The same two that belong to that boy's sunglasses. I swear I could kill him for what he just put me through!

"You…" I seethed. He gave me a toothy grin.

"What? Aren't you happy to see me?" His grin widened as I clenched a fist. I could just wipe the smirk off his face. I sighed as I turned around. I may not know him yet, but I just can't stay mad at such a pretty face.

"So anyway, great minds think alike, huh?" He said. I turned to him with a curious look. "You know, both of us here on the same ride." He then moved closer. "You know, if we didn't have to go down one at a time, I'd gladly go with you." He whispered. I blushed to that before turning around with my arms crossed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said as I moved up a bit.

"Why not?" He asked as he followed. I gave him a smirk.

"You probably just followed me here like a stalker or something." Now it was his turn to cross his arms.

"Don't flatter yourself. You may be hot, but I wouldn't waste my time." My smirk became a grin.

"I'll bet."

"I'm completely serious, dude." He replied as we moved forward. "I just wanted to get wet and go down at extreme speeds. After all, I _am_ an extreme sportsman."

"Extreme pain is more like it." I muttered. "Anyway, do whatever you want. I have more important things to worry about." We moved forward again.

"Aside from sliding, what could you do up here that's more important?" He asked. I gulped as I faced him. Should I tell him what happened? Would he actually care? Maybe this'll be the first test of our love. Wait! What am I thinking?.! I gotta find Maurice, not try to get with this fine specimen! I decided to tell him.

"I'm up here because I lost my little brother." He gaped at me.

"You _lost_ him!.?.! Dude!" I glared at him.

"Oh don't you dare give me that look. He ran ahead of me and got lost in the crowd."

"So what are you doing here? If I had a younger brother and I lost him—although I wouldn't have lost him in the first place—" I scowled at him. He really knows how to push my buttons. "—I'd be running around the park or something."

"Well, for your information, I saw him come here, so I followed him."

"And what's to stop him from going down one of the slides before you get to him?" He asked. I looked to the side.

"Errr…"

"What is he, four feet?" I nodded. "That means he's tall enough to get on just about any ride in the park." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Do you work here or something?" He grinned at me.

"Nah, but I might as well. I come here almost all the time with my sister and her boyfriend. At least I could get in cheaper if I did. Then again, I'd be burning in this heat instead of enjoying the slide with you."

Cheap bastard! He just _had_ to remind me about the heat! I fanned myself as we got closer. I could just barely see the first two slides. I held a hand to my chin.

"If he's tall enough for most of the rides, which ones wouldn't he be allowed to get on?" I asked the redhead. He too put a hand to his chin.

"Let's see… He wouldn't be allowed to go on—"

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!.!.!.!.!.!" My head snapped towards the slides after hearing that scream.

"That was Maurice!"

I pushed past the few people in front of me and looked over the railing. Red followed. A few seconds passed before I saw him emerge out of the left slide, which was blue. He seemed to giggle madly before running off to another ride. I clenched a fist at his retreating form.

"That cheap little…"

"Hey! I think I know where he's going next!" The boy of my dreams said. I instantly grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.

"Where is he going!.? Tell me!.?"

"I will when you stop shaking me!" He yelled. I blushed as I let him go.

"Oops… Sorry."

He stumbled around.

"Hey… Since when did you have identical triplet brothers?" He asked dizzily. "Maybe I can date all three of ya!" I rolled my eyes.

"Focus!" I shook him once more for good measure. He shook his head.

"Awww… Now there's just one of ya." He grinned cheekily. I glared at him. He quickly cleared his throat. "I think he's going to the tube slides."

"Thank you." I said before I ran over to the nearest tube. I grabbed the guy that was about to get in and shoved him out of the way. The attendant blinked before turning to me.

"Cross your arms in front of your chest and—"

"Save it, Brad. I know the drill." I said before sitting down at the tube's entrance.

"I'll meet you at the bottom!" The redhead said before going down the opposite tube, which was red. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and moved forward. Just as I entered the tube, I crossed my legs.

Darkness enveloped me as I zoomed down the water slide. I know I said the average speed was forty-five miles per hour, but it felt more like a hundred! I went through many twists and turns. It may have been my imagination, but I think I might've even gone upside down. Soon, I saw light at the end of the tunnel. I reentered the world of the living with a splash. I was in a daze as I got up from the landing area. I decided to wait for that boy before I continued searching for Maurice. He may be a pain, but at least I'm not doing this alone.

"Whoooo hooooo!.!.!" I heard him scream as he got out of the tube on the other side of the area. I crossed my arms. Well, at least _he's_ having fun. I started walking away.

"Hey! Wait for me!" He yelled as he ran after me. He caught up and looped an arm around one of my own. I turned away, blushing madly. "Thought I was going to let you do this alone, huh?" My blush disappeared as I turned to him.

"You mean it? You're gonna stay with me?"

"Well sure!" He replied. "If it means I get to spend time with you, I'll go to the ends of the earth!" I raised an eyebrow at him.

I don't know whether to be happy or seriously freaked out by that statement. I don't even know the boy's name! I think I'll go with the first option. Somehow, I think he's using my distress over Maurice to get closer to me. The thing is it's working. Oh well. If we actually find Maurice, I'd say "Screw dinner" and get right to the good part. That and my eternal love will be my payment for his services. He just better be able to return my love. I won't allow him to break it off with me, no matter what.

As we walked down the path towards the tube slides, I started wondering about the boy whose arm was looped around my own. What's his deal? Why is he so crazy? How come we haven't gotten together sooner? Is he lying about where he lives? I sighed. I don't have an answer to any of those questions. You'd think that we would've gone to the same high school. Right now, I'm getting ready to start college. He seems younger than me, so he must be a junior or senior. I know that everybody was in different cliques, but if we _were_ in high school at the same time, you'd think one of us would've seen the other. I turned to him.

"Hey, mind if I ask ya something?" He turned to me with a grin.

"Sure, babe. What's up?" He asked. I chose to ignore the pet name.

"You're in high school, right?" It's possible that he dropped out. That better not be the case. If it is and he expects to get with me, he's going back!

"Actually, I'm home schooled." I sighed with relief. "My step-mom teaches me. Why?"

"Just wanted to know." I answered with a shrug. At least I don't have to worry about him having a sucky future or anything. I heard that kids who are home schooled are supposed to be smarter than kids who go to normal school. Now that I've met this guy, I'm starting to doubt whoever said that.

"And you?"

"I graduated this year. I'll be going to college in the fall." I replied. He gasped.

"You're not going to a faraway college, are you!.?" He squeezed my arm tightly, refusing to let go. I grunted as I tried to pull away. He wouldn't let go. Man! He's got a strong grip! "Please don't tell me you're gonna live at some dorm where you'll get drunk at some party and wind up in bed with some _girl_!" He yelled out "girl" with utter disgust. I stopped struggling and gave him a weirded out look.

"Uhhhh… No. First of all, I'm gay, remember?"

"Oh yeah… Good point…" He then pointed an accusing finger at me. "Then you'll wind up in bed with some guy while _I'm_ home worrying about you!"

Some people walking by gave us curious looks. I sighed exasperatedly.

"Who said I'm gonna get drunk at a party?" The redhead gave me a questioning look.

"Uhhh… You did?" I shook my head.

"No, _you_ did. And about college, I'm going to the community college, so you don't even have to worry about me staying at a dorm." He sighed with relief.

"Oh thank God. I thought I was gonna lose you for a second." He said. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'm not even yours yet." He gaped at me in disbelief. I sighed. "I said '_yet_' for a reason, ya know."

"Oh yeah!" He chuckled. Ugh! Why did fate have to send me such a hot nutcase? "Well, we better get moving. The sooner we find your brother, the sooner we can make out, right?" I raised an eyebrow at him. Yep. Definitely too forward for his own good. But he was right. We gotta find Maurice. We started moving before I realized something.

"Could you do me a favor?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Could ya let go of my arm!.?"

He pulled away and looked at my right arm. It was purple from lack of circulation. He looked back at me and blinked.

"You know, your arm looks kinda pretty like that." I scowled at him.

"Thanks. Now back off!" I snatched my arm away and shook it to get the blood flowing. My arm went back to its normal color as I started walking. "Come on. We're almost there." I heard him sigh sadly.

"Ok…"

We soon made it to the tube slides. Like the super-speed slides, there were three of them. They were high up and consisted of a whole lot of twists and turns. They were dark tunnels. You wouldn't know when you'd reach the bottom until it's too late. The only way you could go down the slides is to use an inner tube. By the path to the stairway, there were a whole bunch of yellow inner tubes. Most were made for one person, but others could be ridden by two people. I ignored the tubes as I ran towards the line.

"I'll go ahead and see if I can grab Maurice!" I yelled over my shoulder. "Get a couple of tubes just in case I can't get him!"

"Alright, my hot soon-to-be lover!" He shouted lovingly. I groaned, trying very hard to suppress a blush. I can't believe he just said that out loud! I shook my head as I ran up the stairs. There's no way Maurice is gonna get away _this_ time! He had to have an inner tube with him, so he couldn't possibly cut in line. I smirked. He's mine.

I huffed and panted as I climbed the steep steps. The fact that my legs were still sore from climbing the stairs at the other slides and the high humidity just about killed me. The hot sun dried me completely. Only my hat and my swimming trunks were still wet. I started sweating as I went higher and higher. About halfway up, I decided to stop and catch my breath. This is insane! When I catch Maurice, he's so gonna get it!

I caught my breath and was about to continue on when I noticed the great view. Wishing Waters is on the outskirts of town. In fact, you could see the amusement park from here. If we were allowed to stay up here when night rolls around, we could see the park's fireworks _and_ the town's. Unfortunately, the park closes before the fireworks start. Everybody gets moved to a nearby field that's turned away from the town. I sighed. Oh well. The park's fireworks are much better, anyway. But it would've been nice to get a double feature.

I stood straight up and continued on to the slides. When I reached the final flight of stairs, I looked around. Maurice was nowhere to be found. Was he farther ahead? But how? I wiped my forehead and closed my eyes while panting. Just then, a calm breeze blew into my face. I sighed contently and closed my eyes as that wonderful breeze cooled my sweaty head. It felt so relaxing, so tranquil, so…perfect. Nothing can possibly ruin this serene moment.

"How's it feel?" My eyes shot open and I faced that hottie. His face was mere inches from mine. My face burned up as I stared into his eyes. I stared at those emerald-covered orbs for nearly an eternity before I realized how close we were.

"Gah!" I shouted as I pulled back in shock. I started to lose my balance, causing me to wave my arms wildly. I was barely able to grab the guardrail. I breathed deeply while he just stood there, laughing at me! I gave him a cold glare as I stood up.

"What the hell was _that_ about!.?" I demanded. The redhead stopped laughing and gave me a lopsided grin.

"Well, you looked tired, so I blew on you to cool you off." He said like it was no big deal. I'm starting to rethink this whole "get with him" thing. Would it _really_ be worth it to have this headache of a guy around me? I shrugged at the thought. Heh. Couldn't hurt. Maybe I can live with his antics. I gave him a small smirk.

"You know, you look a little hot too." He gave me a cocky grin and was about to speak. I gave him a tired look and crossed my arms. "I meant hot as in sweaty."

"Ohhh…" He replied, never losing that smirk of his. "Are you sure you didn't mean the other kind of hot?"

"Positive."

"Well anyway, I'll be able to cool down once we go down the slide." He said. I groaned inwardly. So much for getting him back for blowing in my face like that. "Speaking of which, did you find your brother?" I shook my head as the line moved.

"I didn't see him when I got here." I looked at my feet.

"Oh. That's too bad." He placed a hand on my shoulder. I held it without looking at him. He seemed sincere about that.

"Thanks." I said.

"No prob. We'll get him. You'll see." I turned and gave him a small smile. He smiled back.

"Right. We'll find him and make sure he gets back to my mom and dad." I said as we moved forward again. I could just barely see the entrances to the three slides. "So where's my tube?"

"Right here." The boy said. I turned and gaped at him. He got a _double_ inner tube! I glared at him.

"Is this your idea of a joke?.!" He gulped.

"W-well, I was thinking that if we catch him, you and him can ride this tube down so that he won't get lost again. I'll use the one he got." He laughed nervously. I didn't believe an ounce of that, although it _did_ make some sense. I decided to cut him some slack for once. Although it's so obvious he just wants to flirt some more, I'll be able to keep an eye on Maurice.

"Good idea." I said coolly. He breathed a sigh of relief. I smirked at the act.

The line moved and I was able to completely see the platform. There were still a few people ahead of us. I looked around for Maurice, but I didn't see him. I scratched my head and turned to the redhead. I thought he said he came this way. The boy gave me a shrug. I huffed as I turned back around. I strained my eyes trying to find that little pest of a brother. When I just about gave up hope, I saw a striped cap a few people ahead of me. It wasn't just any striped hat. It was _his_ striped hat!

"Maurice!" I yelled. The boy in question turned towards me and delivered his best attempt at a glare. Just as I thought, he had a single-person inner tube with him. I wonder how he was able to carry it, though.

"Twista!" He yelled. I sighed tiredly. At least I managed to get him. That's all that matters. I glared at him and pointed towards my feet.

"Get over here now, Maurice!"

"Twista!" He said in response. He started moving towards the middle tube.

"Maurice, stop right there and come here!" He put down his inner tube in the small pool that marked the entrance and turned to me.

"Twista!" He stuck his tongue out at me. Before I could move to throttle him, he sat in the tube and went down the tunnel.

"That little twerp!" I cursed as I pushed past the people and went over to the middle tube. I could still hear his laughter echoing through the tunnel. I shook my fist at the tunnel.

"Come on! We could still catch him!" Red said, walking up to me with the double tube. I grabbed it and laid it down in the pool. I sat in the front seat and waited for the boy to sit on the other one. When he was all set, I moved the tube over to the tunnel's entrance and was about to go inside.

"Hold it!" I turned and scowled at the attendant. "You gotta wait until that kid gets out." I growled in response to that. By the time we get down there, he'll be gone! About a minute passed before she gave us the ok.

"Finally." The redhead said as we moved forward. I put my legs on the rim of the tube and placed my arms inside. We went inside the tunnel and darkness surrounded us as we went down.

"WAHOO!.!.! ALRIGHT!.!.!" The guy screamed as we went left and right at an intense speed. I had to admit, despite the fact I've been on this ride hundreds of times before, _this_ time felt more fun. I can't figure out why though…

Anyway, just as we got halfway through the ride (at least I _think_ it was halfway), I felt something enclose around my neck and squeeze tightly. I sputtered for air. I was getting choked! I tried to say something, but nothing came out! And even if I _was_ able to say something, it would've been drowned out by my companion's screaming. I moved my hands, trying to pry off whatever got me. I felt ten little bumps. I moved my fingers around, feeling for a way to get whatever had me to let go. I soon heard the guy laughing.

"Dude! HAHAHAHA!.!.! I don't think this is—HAHAHAHA!.!.!—the right place for a tickle fight! HAHAHA!.!.!"

Oh great! Don't tell me he's choking me with his damn legs! At least now I know he's ticklish. Although I was choking to death, I gotta say, this certainly is kinda sexy. Woah! What am I saying!.?.!

°SPLASH!°

We were both tossed out of the tube as we exited the tunnel. I broke through the surface of the pool and gasped for air. When I was able to breathe properly, I glared at the boy. He turned and gave me a questioning look.

"What?"

"Nothing." I said coldly as I left the pool. The boy followed close behind.


	5. The First Kiss

Maurice is Missing!

Chapter Five

The First Kiss

In case you actually got this far and forgot what's going on, let me give ya a quick recap. First, I was knocked out of my sleep by my baby brother jumping on me. I discovered that it was the Fourth of July, meaning that we're going to Wishing Waters. About two or so hours later, we went with my parents to said water park. After dealing with the heat, we made it to the wave pool. There, I was told that I have to watch said brother like I was a baby sitter. Sometime after fighting the waves to save him, I met quite possibly the hottest boy on the face of the earth. Of course, it turned out that he was a complete psychopath, but for some God forsaken reason, I want to be with him.

After we flirted a little, we were tossed out of the wave pool by the lifeguards for some odd reason I have yet to figure out. I then had to deal with taking Maurice to the water slides. That's when everything went to hell. He pulled ahead of me and got lost in the crowd! And now, with the hot guy from the wave pool (whose name I _still_ don't know yet!), we're trying to find him. At the moment, we were just walking around, looking for any sign of my brother.

"Man, where could he be?" Red said worriedly. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I appreciate the concern, but why?" I asked.

"Well, you'll get in big trouble for losing him, right?" He replied. I nodded. "So it's important that we find our brother before you get your head chewed off."

He's got a point there. We gotta find our—Wait a minute!

"What do you mean 'our'?" I asked, expecting a stupid response.

"Well yeah." He started. "Sometime after we get together, we'll get married, meaning that he'll be my baby brother-in-law. So, I thought that I might as well start calling him my brother."

I don't know whether to be majorly freaked out or flattered by that whole thing. He just more or less gave me his ten-year plan!

"Wow. It's amazing how you're _sooo_ organized." I said sarcastically. He grinned at me.

"Yeah, I know." He said, ignoring the sarcasm.

"Oy…" I slapped my head.

By now, we were in line for another ride. This one consisted of a zip line that people can ride over a pool to get to the other side of a chasm. I looked around as we waited.

"Are you sure he went on _this_ one?" There's no way Maurice is tall enough for this ride!

"Of course not." Red replied. "He wouldn't survive the twenty foot drop."

"Then what are we doing here?" I asked confusedly. He sighed exasperatedly.

"It's simple. This is the closest ride to the tube slides, meaning that he had to come this way. If he did indeed come here, it's apparent that he went on the one over there." He pointed to his right. There was a ride identical to this one, except the drop was ten feet instead of twenty. "We're going on this ride so that we can get to him on the other side." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ummm… When did you get serious…and smart?" He glared at me.

"Funny. I told you I'm home schooled, remember?"

"Oh yeah…" I said holding a hand to my chin as we moved forward. "Anyway, it's almost my turn. I'll wait for you on the other end." He seemed to have a saddened look on him as we got closer to the zip line. I wonder what's eating him.

Soon, we made it to the zip line. We were behind one person when I looked across the chasm. I saw the bane of my existence walking away.

"Maurice!" I yelled. I pushed the guy ahead into the chasm and gripped the handles of the ride. "Here I go!" I jumped and started moving. I grunted as I fought against the forces of gravity.

"Wait!" I heard Red shout. Next thing I knew, I felt a great weight on me. It was harder to hang on. I stared ahead with a glower. Please tell me he didn't. Tell me he did NOT do what I think he did. I looked down.

"Hi." He said, grinning stupidly. His arms were around my waist.

I can't believe he just jumped like that!

"What the hell's your problem!.?" I yelled. "Are you crazy!.?.!"

"Yep. Crazy for you!" He said cheerfully.

"It's hard enough to stay hanging on to this thing by myself! How do you expect me to get over there with _you_ hanging on!.?"

"I don't know. It was just a spur of the moment thing." He said with a shrug. How he managed to do that this high up is beyond me. Ugh! I just got dragged down.

"Let go already! You're too heavy!" He glared at me.

"Are you calling me fat?"

"Ugh! If I thought you were fat, we wouldn't be having this conversation!" I grunted. "I would've—Ugh!—left you back at the wave pool!"

"Ohhh… Well anyway, I can't let go. We'll be able to find Maurice faster if you didn't have to wait for me. Besides, I can't stand to be away from you for more than a minute." If I wasn't hanging on for dear life, I'd slap my head.

Just then, I felt my swimming trunks going low! Oh crap! Don't let them fall off! I'm not wearing anything under them! Luckily, I had tied them up this morning. But how long could they stay up with his weight pulling them down?

"Yo! Don't let my swimming trunks fall!" I yelled at him. I saw him blink before he licked his lips.

"Hmmmm… A naked Lars. Now _there's_ an idea." He chuckled evilly as he raised a hand towards the drawstring. I blushed as my eyes grew as wide as saucers.

"DON'T YOU DARE!.!.!" I roared, swaying my body wildly. He held on desperately.

"Alright! Alright! I was just joking!"

"You better have been, ya perv!"

I am in extreme pain right now! My arms felt like they were gonna fall off! I swear, I'm gonna kill both of them! First, I'm gonna kill Maurice for getting lost in the first place and then I'm gonna kill _this_ one for always having sex on the brain! They will both die slow, painful deaths!

We soon reached the end of the ride. My arms felt like they've been stretched to the limit. I rubbed them as we ran in the direction Maurice was heading.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A few hours have passed and I'm freaking out! We tried every possible place we could think of to find Maurice. We tried a few restaurants. He wasn't in any of them. A few times, Red begged me to buy him lunch. I was a bit hungry too, but I was on a mission! Besides, I didn't have any money on me. I dragged him out of the last restaurant in the park and decided to try the souvenir shops.

Things were even worse there! Not only did we not find that little brat, but I still had to deal with this boy's whining! He kept bugging me to buy him the most expensive things. In each case, I glared and dragged him out by his dreadlocks. Now, we were just walking around. It was almost sunset. The park will close soon. I'm running out of time!

"Man… You didn't have to be so rough…" Red said, rubbing his head with his left hand. His right was holding my left. I sighed with boredom.

"Sorry, but if I told you I didn't have money when we were in the restaurants, what makes you think I'd have any in the souvenir stores?"

"Maybe you found some guy's wallet between stores?" He offered with another one of those grins. I rolled my eyes and faced ahead.

"Whatever. So, any ideas on where we could find this menace on my life?"

"Hmmmm…" He put on a thinking pose. We stopped and I faced him. A few seconds passed before he gave me a lopsided grin. "Nope. Not a clue." I slapped my forehead in response.

"Why am I even bothering with you?"

"Because you love me." He said jokingly. I groaned. "Hey look! I think I saw him!" He pointed ahead.

"Where!.?" I yelled, spinning my head in the direction he was pointing. We walked forward along a wooden fence. I noticed a sign that said, "Keep out! Area under construction."

"I'm sure I saw him go in here." Red said, pushing a loose board. He went into the restricted area. He popped his head back out. "You coming or not?" I blinked.

"Uhhh… Right." I replied, following him inside.

The place was empty. Ahead of us was a pool that was full of water. Nearby was the entrance to a water slide that wasn't finished yet. We walked past the pool and up the stairway. Water was dripping onto the stairs. It was starting to get a little slippery. It didn't matter though. If Maurice _is_ here, I have to get to him before he hurts himself!

We got halfway up and still no sign of my brother. I was starting to get worried. I turned to my companion.

"Are you sure you saw him?" I asked.

"Yeah dude. I know I saw him walk in here." He replied with a nod. "Why don't you try calling for him?"

"Good idea." I said before I took a deep breath. "Maurice!.!.! Are you here!.?.!" My voice echoed throughout the area. There was no answer. He didn't even yell out his favorite word. I gulped. What if he got hurt? I decided to try again.

"Maurice!.!.!" Again, there was no answer. I panicked. "Maurice! If you can hear me, say something! Anything!"

I ran up the stairs. I kept calling out his name as I continued my ascent. I soon reached the top and looked around. I didn't see Maurice anywhere. I sat down and tried to catch my breath. A few seconds passed before I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry. I really thought I saw him." I turned and faced the boy. Like earlier, I held his hand. I looked into his eyes and saw disappointment mixed with sorrow. He really tried this time. I sighed and nodded.

"It's alright. Thanks for trying anyway." I got up. "Come on. We still got time before I have to face the music." I let go of his hand and went down the stairs. We got about halfway down when the unthinkable happened.

"Woah! I think I'm slipping!" My eyes widened as I turned towards him. He was desperately trying to maintain his balance on the slippery surface. He started moving towards the banister!

"Hang on! I got you!" I yelled, holding my hand towards him. I was mere inches away when he went over the edge!

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!" He screamed as he fell. I looked over the edge in time to see the splash. I waited for him to resurface, but he didn't.

"Aw crap!" I shouted. I had no idea what to do! I stood there panicking for a few seconds before I decided on a course of action.

"Don't worry! I'll save you!" I climbed over the railing and dove towards the pool. I must've gone down at least twenty-five feet before I hit the water. It hurt a little, but I was able to handle it.

I looked around the pool's bottom frantically, trying to find him. I soon found him floating there. He was knocked unconscious! I had to get him out before he drowned! I swam towards him and put an arm around his neck. I then kicked up towards the surface as fast as humanly possible. I was almost of air when I finally broke through and breathed deeply. I quickly swam to the wall and pulled the redhead out.

"Come on… Wake up." I said, nudging him. He wasn't moving at all. I looked around, trying to think of something. Maybe I should get a lifeguard? No! I'd never make it back in time! I stayed there for a few seconds before the only I could do came to mind.

'_I guess I could try giving him mouth-to-mouth. I've seen it done on TV so many times._' I thought. I gulped as I turned towards him. '_I just hope this works._'

I opened his mouth and took a deep breath. I moved towards him, getting ready to exhale, when he got up and pressed his lips against mine!

"MMPH!.?.!"

I swear to God, I'm gonna kill him! He pretends to drown and nearly gets _me_ killed just to kiss me!.? I bet he didn't even see Maurice walk in here! That freakin' perv! Just wait until he stops kissing me! I'm gonna…! I'm gonna…! Awww screw it. I closed my eyes as I deepened the kiss. I embraced him as he licked my lips. I gladly parted them and I got a taste of his mouth. Our tongues battled for a good two minutes before we parted for air. We just laid there in each other's arms, taking in the sight of each other. A few minutes passed before I caught my breath.

"You know I'm going have to kill you now, right?" I said. He grinned at me.

"Yeah, but it was so worth it." He sighed contently. I ran a finger through one of his dreadlocks.

"Maybe, but did you _really_ have to go through all that just to do it?"

"What other way _was_ there?" He asked. I gave him an innocent look.

"You could've just asked."

"Oh hell no!" He yelled, glaring at me. "You mean to tell me I coulda kissed ya sooner if I just asked!.?.!" I gave him a goofy grin as I nodded.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"I don't believe this!" He yelled as he sat up and turned away with his arms crossed. I kept my grin as I too sat up.

"What's the matter, babe? I thought you'd be happy that you finally got a taste of me." I teased, putting my arms around his waist. He turned to me with a pout.

"Of course I'm happy, but I wasted all this time flirting when I coulda kissed ya from square one."

"Well, it's not _my _fault you were acting like a perverted old man the whole time." I said with a shrug. He only glared.

"Don't compare me to an old man." He warned. I smirked.

"Alright, alright. Besides, you'd be extremely ugly if you were old." He gaped at me. "I'm talking hair growing out of your ears and everything. Even your hair would be gray." He looked shocked at that.

"M-my hair?" He ran his hands through his dreadlocks. I chuckled.

"Yep. That is, if it doesn't fall out first." His eyes widened at that.

"Fall out?" I nodded.

"Oh of course. And then there's the sponge baths."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!" He screamed as he jumped up. "Stop! I don't wanna hear anymore!" I was rolling, laughing at his fright. I soon stood up and walked over to him.

"Don't worry. You won't get old for a long time." I said, kissing his cheek. He sighed with relief.

"Thank God." He turned to me. "Lars, would you still love me, even if I got that ugly?" I gave a small laugh.

"Of course I'd still love you. I bet you'd still be hot when you get old, anyway." He grinned and our lips met again. When we separated, he started pulling me out of the area.

"Come on. We still gotta find your brother!" Oh crap! He was right! We gotta hurry! We both ran down the path.

"Maurice!" I yelled.

"Maurice!" Red yelled.

"Maurice! Where are you?"

"Come on out, Maurice!"

It seemed like all hope was lost.

"Twista!.!.!"


	6. Epilogue

Maurice is Missing!

Epilogue

The Names

We both skidded to a stop after hearing that voice.

"Did you hear that?" I asked. Red nodded in response. I cupped my hand over my mouth. "Maurice!"

"Twista!" He sounded closer. We walked forward.

"Maurice!" Red yelled.

"Twista!"

I grinned as I broke out into a run.

"Maurice!" I yelled.

"Twista!"

We were almost at the end of the fence.

"Maurice!" The redhead yelled.

"Twista!"

We soon came to a fork in the road.

"Let's split up." Red said to me. "I'll go this way!" He ran down the left path, yelling out my brother's name. I took the right path.

"Maurice!"

"Twista!" He sounded really close now. I decided to give it one more shot.

"Maurice!.!.!"

"TWISTA!.!.!" His voice roared. I went around the corner and found him! He was standing between two people: A purple haired girl and a blond guy.

The girl was about my height. She was wearing a green bikini. For some weird reason, she was wearing a pair of sunglasses in her hair. The blond guy was a little shorter than the redhead. He was slim. He was wearing a pair of glasses and a pair of Hawaiian swimming trunks. They were holding Maurice's hands. I sighed as I walked forward.

"Maurice… Finally, I found you."

"Twista!" He yelled, swinging around like a monkey. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed his hand and held on tight. The girl and the guy held each other's hands. I guess they're a couple. Too bad. The blond is kinda cute. I mentally slapped myself. I almost forgot about that redhead. He's practically my boyfriend. We've already been as physical as a normal couple.

"Thanks for finding my brother." I said to them.

"Oh it was no problem." The girl said.

"Yeah. We've been taking care of him for a few hours." The guy said.

"By the way, the name's Lars." I held out my other hand. The girl took it and shook.

"I'm Reggie and this is Sam." She gestured to her boyfriend. I shook his hand as well.

"Well, I guess we'll be going." I said, walking away. "Let's go, Maurice." I said icily.

"Twista!" He yelled. I glared in response. He shrank back.

"Listen, don't be too hard on him, ok?" Reggie said. "He just wanted to have fun."

"He's not so bad." Sam added. I scowled at them.

"Take care of him for twenty-four hours and then tell me he's not so bad." I started walking again. "Thanks again."

"No prob." Sam said.

"Bye Twister." Reggie said, waving.

"Bye Weggie! Bye Sammy!" Maurice yelled back cheerfully. I raised an eyebrow and turned towards the couple again.

"Uhhh… His name's Maurice."

"Twista!"

"Ugh!" I slapped my head.

"By the way, have you seen _my_ little brother?" Reggie asked.

"What's he look like?" I asked, doubting that I actually saw him.

"He's a little taller than Sam, he's wearing purple swimming trunks and sunglasses, and he's got red dreadlocks." She answered. Wait a minute… She couldn't be talking about that hot guy?

"Yeah, I saw him." They looked relieved at my answer. "He went that way." I pointed down the path he took earlier.

"Finally! Thanks a lot!" Reggie yelled, bolting down the path. "Come out, Rocket Boy!" The rest of us blinked.

"I better get moving." Sam said, moving away. He waved at Maurice. "Bye Twister! See you around!" He started running.

"His name's Maurice!" I shouted after him.

"Twista!" I glared at my brother.

"Let's go. Just you wait until Mom and Dad get through with you." He put on a look of extreme fright as I roughly dragged him back to the wave pool, where this whole mess started.

I wonder if I should go with those two and thank that boy for helping. Nah! I'm sure we'll see each other again, especially after that experience in the closed off area. We better, anyway. Besides, I wanna get Maurice back to our parents so that I could spend some time swimming before I change for the fireworks show. Another thing, why did those two call Maurice that name? And why was he so nice about it? I shook my head. I'm not in the mood to try to figure him out. I had a crappy day.

After much struggling on Maurice's part, we finally made it back to the wave pool. Like earlier today, the water was calm. People were once again swimming and splashing each other. I dragged my brother through the beach chairs. As I walked, I looked at Maurice. He was crying softly at the impending threat of my parents. When they find out he ran away from me, they're gonna scream at him. About time if you ask me. He never got yelled at whenever he does something wrong. It'll be a nice change of pace. I then thought about what that girl said. My expression softened.

Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh. After all, he only wanted to have some fun. He's never been here before. He looked back at me. He was sniffling and whimpering. Maybe I should just go into the wave pool with him and forget this ever happened. I stopped and held my chin, considering my options. Maurice looked at me curiously. A few seconds passed before I gave him an evil grin.

Nah!

"Come on. We're almost there." I said as I continued. We soon made it to our parents. I shoved him towards Mom. "Here! Take him!" They both looked at me strangely.

"Lars? What are you…?" Mom started confusedly.

"Do you know what I had to go through?" I shouted coldly. "He ran away from me! I just spent the last few hours trying to find him! Take him and keep him away from me!"

And with that, I turned and marched towards the pool. They're probably pissed at me, but I could care less. I walked into the pool and started swimming when I got far enough in.

I sighed as I floated on my back. There are times that I like to be alone. Although I'd much rather be with other people, it's great to be able to take it easy and not have to worry about little brothers running away or crazy boys flirting with me. I sighed again as I closed my eyes. Now I can enjoy peace and tranquility.

A few minutes passed before I floated into someone.

"Well, fancy meeting you here." I opened my eyes and stared into the eyes of my potential lover. I stood up and faced him.

"Hey. I never got to thank you for helping me find my brother."

"No prob. So you got to him after all, huh?" He asked.

"Yeah. He was with your sister and her boyfriend."

"So you met them?" I nodded.

"They were looking for you." I said. He shrugged in response.

"Well, I never saw them. After I tried to look for Maurice, I decided to come back to you, but you were gone. So I came back here and then you bumped into me and I said, 'Well, fancy meeting you here.' And then you said—"

"Alright! I got it!" I interrupted before he repeated everything again.

"Hey. If we found your brother, that means we can be together now, right?" He asked excitedly. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, it means we can be together." I said, crossing my arms. He cheered and embraced me. He moved in to kiss me when I put my finger to his lips. He gently sucked on it before pulling back with a questioning look.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Before we seal the deal, I want to know your name. We've been flirting all day and we even made out, so it's only fair that I find out before we go any farther." He separated with a pout, but nodded.

"Yeah. You got a point. I completely forgot that I never told ya my name. It's—"

"_Attention. Wishing Waters will close in ten minutes._" A voice said over the P.A. "_Our annual fireworks show will begin shortly after eight o'clock._" Everybody started moving out of the pool, including the boy. I grabbed his arm before he went any farther.

"I still didn't get your name." I said with a grin. He turned to me with a smirk of his own.

"It's Otto." He said.

"Thank you." I let go of his arm.

"So, you going to the fireworks show?"

"Of course. I _never_ miss it."

"Well save me a seat, ok?"

"Sure."

"Then it's a date. I'll see ya later." He gave me a kiss on the cheek before walking away. I held my cheek and smiled after him. Otto, huh? Figures someone like him would have a name like that.

Later…

I was fully dressed as I sat on the field across the street from the park. Lots of people were around, getting ready to watch the show. I was sitting on a blanket Mom and Dad brought. They were sitting elsewhere with Maurice, who was still crying. After getting yelled at, my parents grounded him for two weeks. My parents and the other people that were near them covered their ears to drown out my brother's extremely loud crying. I snickered. I guess I got my revenge after all.

I stared up at the starry sky and sighed. What a day it's been. I lost my little brother, went through an experience and a half trying to get him back, and even fell in love. Speaking of love, I wonder where Otto is. I hope he'll be able to find me.

Pretty soon, I felt something land on the blanket next to me. I turned and found myself staring into the eyes of the auburn haired boy. He was wearing a yellow shirt and a pair of burgundy shorts. The strange part was he was still wearing his sunglasses…at night! How can he see?.! Oh well, as long as he's here, I don't care.

"Otto…" I breathed happily. He grinned at me.

"Thought I wasn't gonna be able to find ya, huh?"

"Well, the thought _did _cross my mind, but then I remembered that you'd be able to find me, no matter what." I said matter-of-factly.

"How? Animal magnetism?" He joked. I chuckled as I sat up.

"Nope. This." I picked my hat off my head. He gave me a confused look. "My mom got me this hat when I was little so that I would never get lost. It's the same thing with Maurice's hat."

"Speaking of which, what happened to him?"

"He's with my parents."

"I hope he didn't get chewed out too badly." Otto said with concern. I crossed my arms.

"He deserves it if you ask me."

"Come on. You don't mean that. I bet he's a good kid."

"He screams every time you say his name." I reminded.

"Yeah right!" He scoffed. "He doesn't scream _all_ the time! What about at school?"

"Mom and Dad were called in at least five times last year."

"Ohhhh…" He blinked at me. He shrugged. "Ok. So I guess he _does_ scream all the time. Let's just forget about it and chill til the fireworks start."

"Good idea." I said, getting ready to put my hat back on.

"Wait." He said. I turned to him. "Keep it off." I raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"You look cuter without it." He replied with a grin. I blinked confusedly.

"I look cute without it?"

"That's right." He nodded. He leaned in close. "You're beautiful when you're not wearing it." I felt my face turning red after hearing that. I faced him and moved in close. He did the same thing and our lips met. We stayed in that position for about a minute before separating.

"I love you. You're the most handsome boy I've ever met." He said. I gasped. That's exactly what the guy from my dreams says to me! My eyes watered. He really _is_ that special someone!

"Oh Otto… I love you too." I moved to embrace him. He moved to hug me too when…

"Hiiiii!.!.!" A high pitched voice yelled. We backed away from each other and turned to Maurice, who sat between us. I glared at him.

"Maurice! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Mom and Dad!"

"Twista!" He yelled at me before grinning. "Mommy let me come here to sit with you."

"Hiya Maurice." Otto said, patting his head.

"Twista!" He yelled. Otto raised an eyebrow.

"Why does he do that?" He asked me. I shrugged.

"I have no clue."

"Hmmmm…" Otto held a hand to his chin. He faced Maurice. "Maurice."

"Twista!" My brother yelled. The redhead stroked his chin.

"Twista?"

"No! Not Twista! _Twista_!" Maurice yelled. I must've looked utterly confused at the exchange. What was he going on about? Otto thought for a few more minutes before speaking.

"Do you mean Twister?"

"Yay! You got it!" Maurice giggled as he hugged my boyfriend. I raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"Well, whaddya know! _That's_ he always screams that word out! He wants to be called Twister, not Maurice!" Otto said, chuckling. Maurice snuggled into his chest.

Heh. So _that's_ it, huh? He wants to be called Twister. That's why Reggie and Sam called him that earlier. It's also why he was always screaming whenever someone called him by his—WAIT A MINUTE!.!.!

I grabbed my brother by the back of the shirt and made him face me. I glared at him. "Let me get this straight. The reason you've been screaming that word for the last five years was because you wanted people to call you Twister!.?.!"

"Yep!" He yelled with a grin. I gaped at him.

"This has been going on for _five_ years?" Otto asked with an eyebrow raised. I dropped Mau—I mean—_Twister_ and turned to him.

"Yeah. Ever since he was able to talk. In fact, it was his first word."

"Dude! Didn't you go to a psychiatrist or something!.?"

"We would've, but Dad doesn't believe in psychiatrists." I replied. Otto's eyebrow went higher. "Don't ask."

"Fine, but you'd think _someone _woulda figured it out before me, right?"

"Actually, your sister and her guy kinda already had it figured out." I said before turning to Twister. "And why didn't _you_ say anything in the first place? You saw everybody covering their ears every time you screamed at them." He shrugged.

"You never asked." I glared at him for that one. I looked ready to choke him.

"Heh. Whatever. So now we know, right?" Otto said. Twister and I nodded. "Good. Now let's sit back. The fireworks are about to start, anyway."

As soon as he said that, the lights dimmed. The crowd cheered as the sky was lit up in different colors. The first few fireworks were your basic ones. But soon, there were explosions shaped like stars, diamonds, and any other shape you could think of. There were also skateboards, surfboards, waves, and pretty much anything you can think of. The shapes and designs appeared in different colors. Twister watched the show with a huge grin.

Halfway through the show, my little brother fell asleep and lay in Otto's lap. We both looked at him before smiling at each other. I moved over and put my arm around my boyfriend. He leaned in close as we continued watching. And to think, all this was caused by my brother getting lost. I gotta make sure I thank him properly someday. Maybe me and Otto can take him to Hawaii when he gets older so he can meet some hottie. But for now, I'm just glad to be with my brother and my love.

**THE END**

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Post-story Conversation

"And…cut!" I yelled, walking on the set. "That's a rap, people! Great job!" All the extras on the set walked off, conversing with each other. Only Lars, Otto, and Twister remained.

"So, wanna go get some dinner?" The brunet asked the older redhead.

"Hey! I helped find Twist, remember?" Otto said. "I thought you wanted to skip dinner and get to the good part." Lars blushed at that.

"Uhhh… Well…"

"Oh! Speaking of Twister…" I said walking up to them. I snapped my fingers, causing Twister's body to glow brightly. The light got bigger. When the light dissipated, he was back to his normal size and age. He was wearing his normal clothes again. He opened his eyes.

"Oh man… What a dream…" He groaned. He looked up and smiled at Otto. "Hey Ottoman…"

"Ummmm… Hey Twist." Otto blinked at him.

"Good night…" The other boy yawned. He snuggled into Otto's lap and started snoring.

"Hey!" Lars yelled. He grabbed Twister and growled at him. The smaller boy gave him a nervous chuckle.

"Heh, heh… Hi Lars." His older brother sighed and tossed him over his head.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!.!.!.!.!.!"

°CRASH!.!.!°

Otto raised an eyebrow as Lars stood up with him.

"So, about that dinner…" The brunet said. Otto sighed.

"Fine, but you're paying." He walked off, holding Lars' hand.

"What!.?" Lars yelled as they left the set. "We agreed! _You_ were gonna pay if you found Twister!" They continued arguing with each other. I looked after them while scratching my head.

"Weird…" I turned to the camera. "Anyway, that's it for now! See ya next time!" I waved at it.


End file.
